The Beginning of the End
by motherlesschild
Summary: Where did they go wrong? A reexamining of Season 3. With a little more insight and information; may we know perhaps just how Tommy and Kimberly's relationship came to an end.
1. Prologue: A Katastrophe

**The Beginning of the End**

_**Summary: **__**Where did they go wrong? A reexamining of Season 3. Starting with a brief glimpse into Kat's first appearance and then retracing our steps with a little more insight and information; may we know perhaps just how Tommy and Kimberly's relationship came to an end.**_

_**AN:**__**Here is the prologue, based on the episodes "A Ranger Catastrophe: Parts 1 & 2". The Prologue begins in the middle of the second part but references the first half. A lot of the dialogue is taken from the episodes that each chapter is based on. Some scenes and lines will be familiar. Some hopefully won't. ~MC**_

_**Disclaimer: I own nothing.**_

**Prologue**

**A Katastrophe**

"Oh no, Katherine!" He remembered, looking a bit sheepish as he stole a quick glance to Kimberly, "We have to find her," he practically whined.

He banished his guilt as quickly as it had arrived upon delivering his thought directly at his girlfriend, reminding himself that it was simply his job to be concerned for an innocent civilian.

Billy gave his friend a sad smile and buried his hands deep into his pockets, "Rita and Zedd must have her. I haven't been able to locate her position anywhere."

Tommy clenched his jaw and shook his head solemnly. The guilt he had tried to reel in moments before, coming back as he spared Kim another quick look. What was wrong with him? Rita's comment must have really gotten under his skin.

"_What would Kimmy think?" _the witch taunted,_ " Spending so much time, worrying about another girl?"_

He barely knew Katherine, but he had inadvertently gotten this seemingly innocent girl mixed up in Ranger business. Never mind the fact that, _if he was being honest_, he had found her attractive to the point of distraction.

The time to consider these more romantic complications was thankfully put on hold when the alarms began blaring and the Rangers were called into battle. A swift victory against some bizarre feline hybrid creation saw them power down the Megazord and teleport immediately to the park, only to run directly into Katherine.

_So much for putting those complications on hold._

Seeing how genuine and amicable Kimberly was with the other girl left Tommy to wonder if he had blown his earlier guilt out of proportion. Surely there was no reason to feel bad about merely _thinking _Kat was cute, right? He'd only resorted to feeling badly about his earlier concern for the girl for fear that Kimberly would be mad that their date had been abandoned, what with his getting kidnapped and all. He silently chided himself for assuming Kim would give their personal lives priority over civilian safety…like he briefly had.

Little did he know, Kimberly _had_ indeed let her personal life hold sway, for a time. While inside the command center, as the Rangers tried in vain to locate Tommy after they'd watched him vanish from sight on the viewing globe, Kimberly was scared yet seething.

She had been running late to meet up with Tommy for their date, and when she'd arrived at the juice bar he was nowhere to be found. Then she'd been summoned to the command center only to discover her boyfriend driving a sports car with some long limbed blonde girl clutching onto him!

Now, Kimberly would marry Lord Zedd before admitting she was jealous. Especially since the viewing globe had only shown her a brief glimpse of a recent event, out of context. But her relationship with Tommy was strained at the moment; their scheduled date having been the first in over a month due to a multitude of other factors in the past few months.

Naturally, or maybe even neurotically, Kimberly had begun to wonder if she and Tommy were headed for a break up. When their relationship was solid and when they themselves were all over each other, they'd gotten into playful spats about their mutual enjoyment of scoping out other people.

As it was now, Tommy and Kim had been spending more time apart than with each other, and attentions inevitably had begun to wander. With that thought, Kimberly hackles had immediately gone up upon seeing him in the viewing globe. No consideration for the circumstances of his current predicament could override the fact that Tommy was in a car with another girl.

When it was reported that he was trapped with Goldar in Zedd's dimension, her anger quickly gave rise to fear. Goldar had a long-standing vendetta against Tommy, and it scared Kimberly to death anytime that gold-winged freak got within ten feet of him. Thankfully Billy had located him and within the hour, the Rangers had managed to retrieve him.

The relief she'd felt, pulling him into that hug when he'd reappeared safely before her, was palpable. She may not ever admit to what she'd been feeling while he was captured, but the other Rangers knew, Aisha most of all. Aisha had been privy to all of Kim's woes about her slowly disintegrating relationship with the White Ranger. The Yellow Ranger saw it in her face when the viewing globe displayed the scene. She'd heard it in her voice when she'd asked the question that was on most of their minds, _"Who's that girl?"_

Kimberly had played it relatively cool when Tommy had said the mystery girl's name aloud and voiced his concern for her wellbeing. Mostly out of gratitude that Tommy was alive and standing in front of her, but also because she'd like to think she had _some _professionalism. She inherently understood that whoever this girl was; she was an innocent civilian and that Tommy's concern was ultimately justified. But she also knew that if Lord Zedd and Rita had somehow done something to this girl, Tommy would never forgive himself. And while Kimberly typically considered his white knight syndrome swoon worthy, the moment he glanced her way as he mentioned saving Katherine, Kimberly struggled not to roll her eyes.

"_How convenient that this innocent civilian is also blonde and gorgeous,"_ she thought to herself.

In a perverse way, Kimberly had never been more grateful to hear those alarms go off. For the sudden but real threat of another monster loosed on Angel Grove forced her personal frustrations to disappear and to concentrate once more on her duty as a Ranger.

Her responsibility as a superhero once again came to halt as she and the other Rangers landed back in Angel Grove Park and ran immediately into Katherine.

"_Great, she's even more beautiful in person than she'd appeared on the globe,"_ Kimberly silently huffed as the group spotted the girl sitting by a tree. They raced over, and Kimberly was grateful nonetheless that the blonde appeared unharmed.

Katherine's piercing blue eyes were glossy with tears as she looked at Tommy in idolatry. Kim watched her boyfriend carefully as Katherine addressed only him when speaking about the horrors she'd just witnessed.

"Oh, Tommy, thank goodness. It was awful! There was this witch, and all these horrible monsters."

Kim once again fought the urge to vomit at Tommy's chivalrous response, "You're okay now, Katherine. Everything's going to be alright," he told her simply.

Katherine blinked back a few stray tears and gave Tommy a small nod and a smile. And despite the fact that there were six of them to comfort her, Katherine extended her hand to help her rise, and Tommy accepted the proffered hand, _gentleman that he was._

As Kat regaled them with her bizarre mini-adventure, Kimberly internally scolded herself. The young woman seemed so genuine that Kimberly was almost embarrassed by her previous anger. Though the battle moments before had managed to derail the Tommy and Kim drama temporarily, a few of the other Rangers were still minutely aware it, though no one had gotten the chance to speak up. Aisha, ever the diplomat, came around as Kat finished her story.

"You're really lucky to be okay," Aisha told her softly.

"I don't want to go through anything like that again!" Kat responded with a small laugh.

Kimberly rationally considered the scenario, and though she was still mildly annoyed that Tommy had apparently gotten into Kat's car and taken off for a joyride when he was supposed to have been _waiting for his girlfriend,_ she was slowly coming to realize that this Katherine girl truly was just an innocent bystander who was at the wrong place at the wrong time. If Kim had been in her shoes, she probably would have done the same thing.

Mustering up her compassion, Kimberly leaned forward as they walked and said, "We're just glad you're all right, Katherine."

Katherine giggled, the terrible ordeal immediately forgotten, "Please, Kim!" she gushed, "Call me Kat. All my friends back home do."

Sparing a sheepish grin at the girl, Kimberly simply chirped, "Okay."

Tommy was relatively quiet as they all continued their walk, casually brushing his hand against Kim's while the others eagerly engaged Kat in conversation.

"So, Kat, do you live here or are you just visiting someone?" Adam wondered from his spot behind Tommy. It was a relatively innocent question, though the simultaneous thoughts that arose in the other Rangers were varied as they awaited the Australian girl's answer. Kimberly could have sworn she saw Tommy shoot daggers at Adam for asking the blonde that question.

"Oh, I just moved in," Kat explained, "My dad got transferred so we all packed up and came over with him."

The implication of Kat's answer was not lost on the Rangers. Adam graced the girl with a goofy smile as Aisha managed a small smile. Rocky favored Tommy with a nod and a content shrug, oblivious. At that, Tommy bowed his head to avoid looking at anyone, and just nodded. Kim caught the action and stiffened as Billy clapped a friendly hand on Kat's shoulder.

"Angel Grove is a great town, you're really going to like it here," he told her with a chuckle. Kat's laughter seemed to corroborate Billy's theory, despite the disastrous situation Kat had just found herself in.

Kat slowed down before glancing at her watch, "Oh! Well, I better be off," she announced to the group, "I still have some unpacking to do."

The Rangers offered nods of agreement and smiles, as she added, "It was wonderful meeting you all."

"Kat," Tommy suddenly said, taking a nervous step forward and bashfully offered, "If you uh… if you ever need anything," he stumbled, "You know, uh…just let us know," he concluded with a shy grin.

Kimberly's smile fell as she conspicuously watched the exchange between Kat and her boyfriend for a moment. Unbidden jealousy flared once more.

Kat noticed Tommy's fumbling and seemed utterly charmed. Staring at him a for a brief moment before nodding slowly and smiling she said, "I will, Tommy. Thanks."

Catching a quick glare from Aisha, Kim painfully contorted her mouth into a smile once more and was quick to deliver to the blonde, "Bye."

Aisha, right on Kim's tail, echoed Kim's "Bye" before the rest of the boys absently muttered their own partings.

Kat waved them off and turned to leave. As she departed, Kim abruptly turned to the group in her best saccharine voice, "She's really sweet, I love her accent."

"Yeah, she's really cool, " Rocky confirmed.

Billy gave a genuine nod to Kim's appraisal as Aisha managed a tiny knowing giggle. Tommy nodded dutifully but remained silent, his former guilt suddenly resurfacing. He could have kicked himself for tripping over his tongue the way he had when he'd offered Kat help just then. Why was he so nervous? He watched Kim anxiously as he tried to read her mind in the moment.

The gang started walking once more, as Adam chimed in, "It'll be great when she starts school in the fall," receiving excitable murmurs from Rocky and Billy.

Aisha raised her brows in Kim's direction before murmuring a small obligatory "Oh, I know."

Before he knew what he was doing, Tommy added, "Yeah, that'll be cool," as he locked eyes with Kimberly and gave her a sad smile.

"P.C." Aisha suddenly called out, moving from the group, "I've been looking everywhere for you!"

The others turned as Aisha continued, "I can't believe she made it this far."

Kimberly cooed happily as she and Aisha led the group toward the white feline, happily cooling herself in the grass.

"Hi P.C." Aisha approached the cat, "Hi there, baby." Aisha lovingly held the creature in her arms and kissed its nose.

The gang crowded around Aisha and her pet, Kimberly sidling up to scratch the animal's ear tenderly as Tommy reached out to stroke its back. The gang laughed affectionately as Aisha leaned into the cat's face and mused, "I am never letting you out of my sight!"

The Rangers resumed their walk back to town, chuckling as Aisha continued to smooch and love on her new pet. Tommy was grateful for the distraction. He'd unconsciously let slip that last comment about Katherine, and he'd immediately regretted it as he'd turned to see Kim's face. He didn't know why. He'd done nothing wrong. But that new girl had definitely had an effect on him, and it was already making things uncomfortable for him and Kimberly. Tommy supposed this nagging guilt that had been plaguing him since meeting the tall blonde had a lot to do with his still very much thriving love for the petite brunette.

He knew they'd hit a rough patch; Ranger duties seemed to take over most of the time, and the school year was closing out so Finals had reared their ugly head. Not to mention Kimberly's recent training for the Pan Global games. She'd been practicing so hard recently, and by herself a lot too. Tommy had offered to spot her once or twice, seeing as she was essentially coaching herself through the process. But he knew she enjoyed training alone. She could focus that way. In the past, whenever he had managed to convince to let him come along, it had always ended up in a make out session. Not that either of them were complaining. But these Pan Globals were a pretty serious opportunity, and if Kim wanted any chance to qualify, she had to concentrate. Besides, heavy make out sessions were few and far between _these days_. Fighting monsters was about all the action either one of them had been seeing as of late. Maybe this whole Katherine thing was just residual sexual frustration.

Yeah, that's exactly what it was. As soon as school was over, he and Kim would have the whole summer, and they'd be able to spend a bit more time alone.

Tommy spared a glance to his left, smiling thoughtfully as Kimberly continued to nuzzle the kitten while they walked. And as P.C. purred quietly, seemingly content in Aisha's arms, no one seem to notice the cat's eyes briefly flash green…


	2. Chapter 1: Incident the First

**The Beginning of the End**

_**Summary: **__**Where did they go wrong? A reexamining of Season 3. Starting with a brief glimpse into Kat's first appearance and then retracing our steps with a little more insight and information; may we know perhaps just how Tommy and Kimberly's relationship came to an end.**_

_**AN:**__**Chapter One begins. Based on the episode "A Brush with Destiny". The timeline is not gospel, I'm simply imagining how long ago incidents took place. A lot of the dialogue is taken from the episodes that each chapter is based on. Some scenes and lines will be familiar. Some hopefully won't. ~MC**_

_**Disclaimer: I own nothing.**_

**Chapter 1**

**Incident the First**

Every time the Rangers had encountered a major upheaval, it had felt like the end.

From the Evil Green Ranger to Tommy losing his powers, from the emergence of Lord Zedd and the destruction of the First Zords to the Power Transfer, from the shutdown of the Command Center and the epic journey across the Desert of Despair, if it wasn't one thing, it was another. Yet somehow, thankfully, there had always been a next time.

But hindsight is a funny thing, and you can never really escape that feeling of doom when you encounter a new something awful…

_**Six Months Ago**_

"I have good news and I have bad news," Kimberly explained, leaning against the table as she turned to face her companions.

Tommy and Kimberly shared a look that went unnoticed by Aisha as the girl in yellow shrugged, "Well, I always like the good news first," she said with a laugh.

Kimberly bit her lip, grateful that she could put off the inevitable for a moment. "My mom is engaged to be married to a French painter," she told them.

Aisha and Tommy both laughed, the girl in yellow pulling Kim in for a hug, "Congratulations!"

Wrapping a warm arm over the girl's shoulder, Kim pointed across the room, "See that's him over there," she gestured to a tall, handsome man in a suit jacket and a beret. Pierre was chatting to some students while Kimberly's mom Caroline stood proudly beside him. "He's showing a painting he's donating to the benefit."

"Ooh-la-la, he's kind of cute," Aisha giggled as Kimberly smiled sadly.

Tommy snickered at the girl's ridiculous assessment of the older man as Kimberly pulled ahead of them and looked longingly at the older couple.

"Yeah, Pierre's really nice," Kimberly mumbled, managing a small wave to her mom before adding, "I like him a lot."

"So what's the problem?" Tommy wondered.

"Well," Kimberly clucked her tongue, "He lives in Paris," she began slowly, turning back to face Aisha and Tommy.

"Mom says that we're all moving there…for good."

She shot Tommy a miserable look, ready to burst into tears. Tommy held her gaze for a moment before hanging his head solemnly. Aisha looked back and forth between the pitiful couple, utterly speechless.

The next day, the gang returned to the Youth Center after their battle with the Artistmole, ready to support Kimberly no matter what the outcome. Aisha was on her way, having needed to swing home first and talk to her parents. Rocky, Adam and Billy found a table and proceeded to order drinks and food. Before heading to the table, Tommy hung back for a moment with Kimberly, hand in hand.

"Hey, how are you doing?" Tommy asked her, looking down at the girl worriedly.

"I know my mom would never let anything bad happen to me but," Kim began quietly, "I don't want to leave, Tommy."

Tommy nodded his head. _Boy, did he understand_. "I know, Kim. I don't want you to leave either."

"Is this a real conversation that we're like, actually having?" Kimberly balked. "I can't believe I may not ever get to see you again."

Tommy shook his head, "Don't talk that way, Kim. We'll see each other again," he assured her, bringing his hands up to rest on her shoulders, "Even if I have to break Zordon's rules and teleport to France, we'll see each other."

Kimberly managed a small giggle at the boy's suggestion. She leaned her head on his chest as his arms wrapped around her waist. For a moment, they just held each other.

Kim spotted her mother and her fiancé walking in. Tommy began following Kimberly down the steps but Kim turned to face him and grabbed his hand, gently letting him know she needed a moment alone with her mom.

Tommy had meant what he said, but he didn't know if he believed it. He didn't want to think about Kimberly not being here, but he nodded dutifully and released her hand with a squeeze.

"I'll be right here," he reminded her.

As Kim launched into a tearful tirade about her fears and anxieties about moving away, Caroline's heart nearly broke. The older woman caught a glimpse at the young man standing a few feet away, watching him intently. Caroline knew him to be her daughter's boyfriend. She had always liked Tommy. He was a very handsome young man who'd always been very respectful of her, and seemed to genuinely love her daughter. But as Caroline returned to Kimberly's pleading face, she smiled sadly. She worried that Kim's anxiety had more to do with leaving Tommy than anything else.

Aisha arrived with her parents a few moments later. The yellow Ranger offered the boys at the table a small wave before she approached Kim and her mom from behind.

"Kimberly?" Aisha called out, getting the girl's attention. As Kim spun around to face the girl, Mrs. Campbell stepped in.

"Kimberly, Aisha told us about what's going on," the older woman explained.

"We think we have a solution to your problem," Mr. Campbell added, coming up to cradle his wife's arm with his own.

"You do?" Kim asked as Aisha came up beside her and grabbed her hands.

"Kimberly, would you like to come stay with me and my family for the rest of the school year?"

The boys heard the suggestion from their table and shared a look. Rising to stand beside Tommy, they lingered in the background nervously awaiting the verdict.

Kim's eyes went wide in amazement. She spun around to face her mother and gave her a questioning shrug, "What do you think?"

Caroline Hart sighed, unsure of this hasty solution, "I don't know. It's quite an imposition on the Campbells."

Mr. Campbell shook his head lovingly, "Believe me, it's no imposition," he told the woman, attempting to reassure her.

"Is that what you want, Kimberly?" Caroline asked, putting a graceful hand on her daughter's shoulder.

Kimberly bit her lip anxiously, throwing a quick look to Aisha and her parent's as they smiled back at her before returning to her mom and taking a deep breath.

"I'll finish up the school year, and _then_ I'll go to France, " Kimberly bargained.

Caroline shared a questioning look with her fiancé. Finally, the older woman shrugged and said, "I don't see why not. I suppose it would be better for you to finish school here."

Kimberly covered her face with her hands in excited disbelief. "And any time you are ready," Pierre began, "Our home is your home."

Kimberly smiled brilliantly and enveloped him and her mother in a giant hug. The Campbells smiled happily to one another as Kimberly pulled away and spun around to face Aisha once more.

"Are you sure this is okay?" Kimberly mumbled to her friend discreetly.

The four boys former reverie was halted momentarily as they watched eagerly. Tommy's heart was beating so loud, he swore the whole Youth Center could hear it.

Aisha laughed as Mrs. Campbell chimed in, "We can't wait!"

"Welcome to the family, Kimberly," Mr. Campbell added.

Rocky and Adam spun to face Tommy, giving him simultaneous high-fives. Billy clapped a supportive hand on Tommy's shoulder. Tommy nodded briefly to them but kept his focus straight ahead where the girls stood. Kim deliberately avoided looking at Tommy for fear of embarrassing everyone with an all too public display of affection and relief. She was forever grateful when Aisha grabbed her hands and smiled. Kimberly squealed in delight as Aisha jumped to embrace her, the girls giggling as they hugged each other tightly.

Both sets of adults laughed as the girls murmured excitedly about all the things they'd still get to do now that Kimberly was staying.

Caroline Hart and her fiancé traded info with the Campbells before they departed. Aisha said goodbye to her parents and headed back to the table to fill in the details for the guys as Kimberly pulled her mom aside.

"Thank you so much, mom," Kimberly told her. Caroline fussed with Kimberly's hair for a moment, smiling tenderly at the young girl.

"Well, I'm just glad you have such amazing friends," Caroline said, "Letting you stay with them is really generous."

"I know, and it's totally going to be worth it," Kimberly explained.

"I'll call you when we get back home," Caroline told her, "and then we can figure out what to do when school ends, okay?"

After saying her goodbyes to Caroline and Pierre, Kimberly returned to the table where her friends were celebrating. She lingered near the stairs as Rocky, Adam and Billy took turns giving their friend a congratulatory hug. Aisha sent her a wink as Tommy slowly came around the table and stopped in front of her.

"Would you guys excuse us for a moment?" Tommy asked the group, not bothering to wait for permission as he led Kim down the stairs and into the locker bay.

Kim kept her pretty face serene despite knowing that the joy she felt had only managed to stall the reality of the situation, not erase it. After all, she'd only convinced her mother to let her stay for the remainder of the school year. And that was only six months…but she really didn't want to think about that.

Tommy studied the tiny hand he held in his larger one, his thumb absently rubbing the soft skin. Kimberly studied him. Both were quiet for a few minutes until finally the young man looked into his girlfriend's eyes and smiled, "You're staying."

Kimberly swallowed the lump in her throat. _For now_, she thought sadly.

But instead of voicing the bittersweet amendment, she smiled back at her boyfriend and nodded, "I'm staying."


	3. Chapter 2: Nothing Stays Buried For Long

**The Beginning of the End**

_**Summary: **__**Where did they go wrong? A reexamining of Season 3. Starting with a brief glimpse into Kat's first appearance and then retracing our steps with a little more insight and information; may we know perhaps just how Tommy and Kimberly's relationship came to an end.**_

_**AN:**__**Chapter Two. Based on the episodes "Stop the Hate Master: Parts 1 &2", and it's a doozy. The timeline is not gospel, I'm simply imagining how long ago incidents took place. A lot of the dialogue is taken from the episodes that each chapter is based on. Some scenes and lines will be familiar. Some hopefully won't. ~MC**_

_**Disclaimer: I own nothing.**_

**Chapter 2**

**Nothing Stays Buried For Long**

_**Three Months Ago**_

Three months had already passed since her mother first dropped the France bomb on her, and Kimberly was desperate to keep her spirits afloat. Staying with the Campbells was amazing, and they had welcomed her into their family like another daughter. But Kim was all too aware of how soon her extension would run out, and she just couldn't bring herself to face it.

So when Kimberly heard about a regional gymnastics competition that could lead to a chance to qualify for the Pan Global Games, she immediately threw herself into training. She'd had to sacrifice some of her time with the Rangers, but after a heartfelt discussion with Zordon, he'd assured the young girl that he would make every effort to enable her to pursue her goal. Thankfully, it had paid off. Kimberly had made it to the qualifying round and was now in pursuit of a spot at the Pan Globals. The best part about having this opportunity, was that it forced her hand in staying in Angel Grove. Now, she'd have the whole summer in addition to the three months she had right now. Granted, it was only another three months, but she was eternally grateful to prolong the inevitable a bit longer.

The rest of the team was totally supportive, if not a bit bummed that they weren't spending as much time with her, on and off the battlefield. The irony. The opportunity that would keep her with her friends longer was also keeping her _from_ them. It wouldn't last forever, she'd have plenty of time once summer rolled around.

Now, evil spells, are just that. _Spells. _They last, usually, for a brief period of time and its victims are usually given an implicit tabula rasa once the effects have worn off…_usually._

Initially, The Hate Master had appeared to be no different than any other evil spell-casting freak that Lord Zedd and Rita occasionally unleashed.

But something else had been unleashed that day.

Buried resentments and burgeoning insecurities were suddenly exposed when the five Rangers had come in contact with the Hate Master's magic dust.

Zordon called out to Tommy over the communicator, warning him that what they were experiencing was merely a spell, but before he could get that far, Tommy abruptly cut him off, "Give orders to someone who cares," the tall boy scoffed. "I'm tired of listening to you."

Though the sentiment was magically induced, it had come from a place of truth. Being the team's leader was an honor that Tommy took very seriously, but he'd had more than his fair share of Ranger responsibilities interfering with his personal life, and they were beginning to take its toll. He was tired of lying to his parents and teachers every time his damn communicator went off. He was tired of pulling constant all-nighters just to finish a lousy homework assignment cause a battle had kept him out all day. And he was tired of having to sacrifice what precious little time he had left with Kimberly.

As Aisha arrived on the scene, Adam and Rocky were at each other's throats.

Adam stared down his best friend, "You think you're so tough, don't you? The _Red _Ranger," Adam taunted.

Rocky pushed the other boy forcefully, "Get out of my face!"

Adam just laughed and stepped into Rocky's space, "You're not even good enough to be the leader."

Rocky jutted an angry finger at the boy in black, "I _said,_ get out of my face!"

"Whose gonna make me?" Adam snickered.

"I am, pencil-neck!" Rocky yelled, "Think _you're _so cool? You're useless! A Frog? Face it, you're still that loser who always gets picked last. Even as a Power Ranger."

The two young men were dangerously close to one another. The two best friends had never had a serious quarrel between them, and they'd shared a lot of secrets with one another; secrets that the evil spell was now using to its advantage.

Aisha took off at a run, "Guys, the Hate Master has you under his spell," she explained as Rocky and Adam continued to circle one another.

"You've got to snap out of it," she implored further.

Billy, Tommy and Kim turned to regard the yellow Ranger. Aisha halted when the other three began to shoot pissed but dismissive remarks at her.

Kimberly was the first, "Can you mind your own business, please?" the girl in pink snapped.

"Yeah," Billy followed, "Who invited you here, anyway?"

"No one, as usual," Kimberly supplied, "Typical Aisha, butting in, thinking she can fix it all."

"You're a joke, " Tommy spat with a disgusted shake of his head, "just like the rest of you."

Aisha quickly tried to shake off the hateful words and came in closer. "Guys, listen to me, "she pleaded, "I don't understand why I'm not affected by this, but you guys are under Hate Master's spell."

Kimberly audibly groaned, "Can you _stop_ whining, please?" she glared at the other girl, "cause I'm getting really sick and tired of listening to your voice," she said with a simper.

Aisha balked at her best friend, trying in vain to keep from crying. Aisha knew it was a spell, but did the words have to be so damn hurtful?

"I'm getting tired of listening to _all _of you," Adam suddenly yelled, walking away "_Some team this is_."

"No one gives a damn what you think anyway," Rocky muttered as he started to leave as well.

The rest of the gang followed suit, leaving Aisha in their wake. Frantically, she called after them, "Talk to Zordon—"

"I'm sick of being Zordon's little puppet, I've got better things to do," Tommy interrupted as he stormed off in the same direction as the other boys.

"Zordon's a joke," Billy crowed.

"You're all a joke," Kimberly chirped snidely.

"He'll explain!" Aisha called out again.

Tommy shot her a glare before laughing bitterly, "Fine. I'll talk to him," he threatened over his shoulder, "I've got a few things to get off my chest."

Aisha choked back a sob as she watched Tommy suddenly teleport out of the park, the others right behind him.

As Aisha bit back the tears that threatened to fall, she sighed a small breath of gratitude that at least they were all headed back to the Command Center.

Whatever gratitude Aisha had felt in those brief moments before teleporting had completely vanished upon arrival. If she'd thought the spiteful words had hit too close to home _before_, she hadn't seen anything yet.

"I'm tired of wasting my time fighting your battles, Zordon," Tommy shouted, darting an accusatory finger.

There were a few apathetic snickers and mumbled agreements with Tommy's thoughts, as if the other Rangers seem to be too disdainfully proud to voice their own sentiments at the moment. But Tommy felt no such compunction to keep quiet as his own private frustrations became public.

"From now on, you do your own dirty work."

Zordon chose to address them all despite having been called out by Tommy alone.

"Rangers," Zordon's booming voice rang out, "Hate Master has altered your minds with his hate dust—"

Kimberly was the second one to pipe up, cutting off the ancient wizard with a defiant, "Nice try, Gramps. But you're not gonna talk us out of it, okay? We quit."

Aisha felt a twinge as Kimberly spoke. Remembering the conversation she'd had with Kim after finding out she'd be moving to France.

"Kim," the Yellow Ranger pleaded, "Remember what you said to me that night on the phone? You can't just quit, " she reminded her before turning to face all of them, "None of you can."

"Well, if this the level of commitment one can expect from you," Billy suddenly found his voice, "I quit too. God, you're all idiots. Why did I ever waste so much time with the intellectually challenged?" He scoffed, ripping off his communicator and throwing it to the floor.

Adam and Rocky apparently saw this action as inspired and began to remove their communicators as well, tossing them carelessly.

"Oh no, nerd boy," Kimberly cackled to Billy, "You broke your wittle toy," she sneered, despite also beginning to remove her own bracelet.

Billy rolled his eyes at the short brunette, "Not like you use it anymore, Bimberly," his voice full of derision.

Aisha stumbled at Billy's sudden direct attack of Kimberly. If and when he returned to normal, Billy would punish himself for admitting his recent resentment toward his friend's frequent absences. Under normal circumstances, Billy had tremendous compassion for Kimberly's strained schedule, and he didn't want to question her commitment to the Rangers. Only that because of her training, he feared she had begun taking on too much. It was a frustration he'd admitted to Aisha and no one else…_until now._

Kimberly scoffed, "Thank God my training has kept me away from you, you techno-babbling geekoid!"

"What are you training for again?" he pondered blithely, "A shopping spree?"

Tommy angrily stepped up between them and held his hands out to separate them.

"Shut up already!" Tommy cringed as he threw his own watch down, "I don't wanna see this place or any of you ever again!"

Kimberly shot him a wicked look, "Oh believe me, baby, that would be a pleasure."

Tommy returned her glare and laughed at her threat mockingly, ""I guess it wasn't so hard to quit the team after all, huh?"

"Oh, okay, _Mr. I've-got-better-things-to-do_…" She retaliated.

"Hey dweeb head," Rocky finally chimed in, "Make yourself useful and get us out here."

"Gladly", Billy sneered at the boy in red as he sauntered over to the control panel and pressed a combination of buttons. "I'm the only one who knows how to do anything around here, anyway."

"But Billy," Alpha Five squeaked, "You're all friends."

"Friends?" Adam laughed hatefully, "Not anymore, Tin man."

"The Rangers are history," Billy muttered.

Alpha's frantic cry of "ay-yi-yi" echoed back as the five angry Rangers disappeared in a multi-colored flash.

Aisha numbly stumbled to the center of the floor where her friends had just been.

Zordon was saddened to discover how easily the Hate Master's spell had compelled his Rangers' frustrations and anxieties, but the sooner they were able to stop it, the sooner the team could heal.

The solution to their problem arrived quickly in the form of Aisha's necklace, apparently forged out of love and kind energy. But their victory was short lived when Zordon suddenly vanished from his tube and the Command Center was bathed in darkness.

What was that old adage? _Misery loves Company?_ Well it seemed to be proving true as the five infected Rangers all found themselves together at the Juice Bar, despite still riding the wave of animosity. For whatever brand of hatred they were all on, it was apparently designed specifically for one another.

"Free to do whatever I want," Adam snickered as he and Rocky looked around at the Youth Center at the same moment.

"What I want," Rocky bristled, "is to be free from you clowns." The two boys stared each other down as Adam knocked into Rocky's shoulder and headed for the locker room. Rocky glared at the Black Ranger before taking off in the direction of the video games.

Up near the bar, Billy sat at a table and sank back in his chair. A smug grin plastered on his face as he tinkered with a small device he'd concocted, "That should take care of you, Zordon," he congratulated himself, "Am I good or what?"

Kimberly emerged from the restroom, and caught sight of Billy sitting at the table.

Tommy, who was seated at the counter, sent Kimberly a scathing look as she walked by. Seeing her deliberately snub him, Tommy stood up abruptly, roughly grabbing her arm, "Guess I'm not important to you anymore, huh?"

"Oh, poor baby. All alone and no one to save," she mocked callously, wrenching her arm away and breezing past him.

Still reeling from their earlier altercation, Kimberly strutted up behind the boy in blue and motioned to the orb with a flick of her chin, "Aww," she cooed, "whatcha got there, little nerd boy? Is this another invention?" She patronized. "Get a life."

Tommy turned to watch with disdain as the two began bickering once more.

Billy rolled his eyes and irritably responded, "Listen you snippy little upstart—"

Kimberly's brow rose in amused indignation, "Excuse me?" she scoffed, silently daring him to continue.

"You heard me," Billy challenged with no hesitation, "For your information, I just cut off the power to the Command Center."

This bit of info caught Tommy's attention and he smiled wickedly as Kimberly made a mockery of Billy's self-importance. Wagging her head as if what he'd apparently done was actually impressive.

With the sweet promise of retribution Billy added, "Why don't you just leave me alone and go find a mall to inflict yourself on."

Kimberly sneered as Tommy slid off his barstool and crouched beside the brainy young man. "Good," Tommy spat out, "Without power, old man Zordon won't be bugging me anymore, huh?"

Kim snorted at Tommy's overly aggressive disdain for the wizard, "Right, like _you _could ever stay away from Zordon forever? You'll be crawling back in no time."

"Whatever, " Tommy mumbled, deciding to take off for the lockers. He needed to work out for a bit. He was suddenly itching to punch something. Kimberly laughed at his feeble comeback and spun on her heels to leave.

Billy deigned to watch the couple exit separately before sighing and shaking his head in resignation at the utter stupidity of his former teammates.

Alpha and Aisha had managed to generate enough power to get her out of the Command Center and back to the Juice Bar just in time to stop Adam and Tommy from pummeling each other. They were in the midst of a ridiculous argument over who had more ownership of the sparring mats, which then led to accusations over who should actually be the leader of the Rangers. Once again, Aisha rushed to intervene as the other three Rangers all stood idly by, perfectly content to witness some possible bloodshed.

Through Alpha's perseverance, he'd managed to channel the energy from Aisha's necklace and break the spell once and for all. As their magical malaise wore off, Billy considered the small electronic sphere he was holding before relinquishing the device to Aisha, who promptly restored the power to the Command Center.

Instantly, Zordon reappeared inside his tube and alerted the Rangers of the now giant sized monster wreaking havoc downtown.

Two parts grogginess and about eight parts guilt delayed the Rangers' reaction time for the briefest of minutes before answering their mentor's call. Every heinous word they'd uttered in the past few hours came rushing back to them. Every hurtful gesture, every caustic glance; the imminent repercussions loomed largely over all of them. No one could look at each other, and no one dared to say another word.

Thankfully, Aisha took charge and fielded the correspondence before ushering the ashamed group out into the hall and led them into battle.

A brief moment of levity in the form of Bulk and Skull distracted the group upon returning to the Juice Bar after effectively crushing the Hate Master into their own special brand of dust. It seemed they all needed to subconsciously defeat this particular monster more than usual.

Nervous glances and a few minutes of awkward silence pervaded the table where the Rangers sat. No one knew how to start the necessary explanations for what had been said and done that day.

Finally, Adam spoke up. Clearing his throat, he cast a tentative look to their leader, "Hey Tommy," he began, scratching his head nervously, "About what I said earlier…"

The Black ranger wasn't alone in his eagerness to apologize to the people he'd hurt, nor was what he'd said to Tommy the worst of it. Adam knew he really owed Rocky his biggest apology, but he only had the courage to make amends for the more innocuous comments at the moment.

Tommy was right there with him. He too knew there were a lot graver things revealed than what he and Adam had said. Tommy offered his hand to the Asian boy and they knocked fists cordially.

"Hey man, it's forgotten," Tommy assured him gently, braving a quick glance around the table, "We were all under the Hate Master's spell," he added, hoping no one would begrudge his attempt at giving them all an out for today's fairly despicable circumstance.

No one did. In fact, they were all silently trying to justify their behavior as merely an evil spell. Even though they all knew the sad truth, Kimberly was the next to speak up.

"I think it brought out the worst in all of us," she admitted quietly, darting her eyes over to her boyfriend.

Tommy snickered softly, bowing his head as he recalled all the regrettable things he'd voiced aloud.

"Hate usually does," Billy chimed in, feeling wholly obligated to respond to Kimberly's comment after the particularly heated exchanges the two of them had shared. "It's definitely something you have to work at if you want it to stop."

The whole group nodded solemnly, falling once more into a tense and contemplative silence.

Aisha had had enough for one day. What was said couldn't be unsaid, and the next few weeks would probably find them all licking their wounds and dancing around one another as they attempted to reconcile the implications of everything they'd discovered. But it'd be a hell of a lot easier if they could all remember one crucial thing.

Extending her arm into the center of the table, she offered her hand and said, "Friends?"


	4. Chapter 3: A Notion of Things to Come

**The Beginning of the End**

_**Summary: **__**Where did they go wrong? A reexamining of Season 3. With a little more insight and information; may we know perhaps just how Tommy and Kimberly's relationship came to an end.**_

_**AN:**__**Chapter Three. Based on the episode "The Potion Notion". In the aftermath of the Hate Master, we get a bit more insight into how the other Rangers are feeling. **_

_**Warning, this chapter is nice and long. The timeline is not gospel, I'm simply imagining how long ago incidents took place. A lot of the dialogue is taken from the episodes that each chapter is based on. Some scenes and lines will be familiar. Some hopefully won't. ~MC**_

_**Disclaimer: I own nothing.**_

**Chapter 3**

**A Notion Of Things To Come**

Rocky and Adam were the quickest to forgive one another after the fallout of the Hate Master fiasco. The sting of hateful truth hurt more knowing that their friends had witnessed it.

Rocky had always been intimidated filling Jason's shoes. He'd known the former Ranger had been the original leader, and though Rocky knew he'd never replace Tommy, he'd secretly hoped that with time, he would at least be considered second in command.

But that hope was fleeting, a small insecurity that he'd revealed to Adam a long time ago in passing. Most days, _normal days_, he didn't want that kind of responsibility. He saw what Tommy had to deal with being the leader. _He could have it_, Rocky was just grateful to have been chosen to be a Power Ranger at all.

He supposed the evil spell had caused him to target Adam specifically because Adam was his best friend. Not to mention the Black Ranger's seemingly easier integration into the team. Adam had already once or twice been given second in command, and Rocky was happy to follow his best friend's lead.

But some days he felt like a disappointment. Like his donning the mantle of Red Ranger meant he should have more sway amongst the group. Hence, how he'd managed to berate Adam so easily.

Not that he'd even tried to take charge when under the influence of the spell. He'd mostly just stood there seething quietly until Tommy admonished Zordon and convinced them all that quitting the team was a good idea. Even in a hateful daze, The White Ranger was still the leader.

Though Rocky's spell-induced aggression was just as real as his own, Adam knew he had instigated the fight between him and the Red Ranger.

Like Rocky, Adam had had plenty of whimsical daydreams about what becoming a Power Ranger might mean. He thought because he'd been chosen that meant he'd pick up right where Zack had left off and he'd be valued in a way he'd never felt in his youth.

For all the times he'd been picked last, or been picked on because of his small stature as a child wouldn't matter. He'd be an important part of a team for once.

Of course, these were aspirations. Not spurious, but unrealistic given who and where he was. He could never pick up where Zack had left off. Not because he couldn't be a good Ranger, but because he simply wasn't Zack. Intellectually, Adam understood this. He was still a newer member of the team, and he was the quiet, sensitive one. Aisha's energy and Rocky's humor filled more of Zack's former capacity than he ever could.

And receiving his recently acquired Ninjetti powers hadn't helped his deep-seated feelings of inadequacy. Not that his disappointment was a secret that only Rocky could have used for ammunition during the Hate Master's spell. They all knew Adam had been a bit crestfallen at the discovery that the Frog was apparently his spirit animal.

He was pretty certain Zack wouldn't have gotten a frog. Zack would have gotten something smooth and dizzying, like a panther or a Tasmanian devil.

It was a childish hang up, as the powers themselves were amazing and totally his own. If there were ever another Power Transfer, no one could take his specific power. They were all infused with the Ranger's personal life force. Not even Zack had that honor.

The rest of the Hate Master disaster was just messy, as far as Adam was concerned; he and Rocky throwing away their communicators at the same time, not out of solidarity, but because neither could stand the idea of being left behind. Annoyed by each other's presence yet seemingly unable to stay away. A dark unbidden need to lash out at the one person who you knew could hurt you the most, and who you could hurt the most kept them in each other's face for most of the day.

But the two boys had been friends since birth, and they would remain friends for a long time after they were Rangers. Aisha's incessant optimism helped too, seeing as she had also known them the longest. Funny, how though she'd been blatantly ignored while her best guy friends were under the spell, neither of them had managed to say anything directly spiteful toward her. The trio took is as a small boon. Or perhaps, if they were feeling wistful, their cosmic bond was too great.

Sadly, not everyone could believe that.

Billy had come a long way from the stringent, logic-based, analytical boy he used to be. Really, he had. Becoming a Ranger had exposed him to things he had never thought possible, filled with magic, monsters, and a whole universe unexplored and unexplainable. And he had accepted all of it, eventually finding his niche as he used all of his scientific knowledge to help explain the mystical he encountered everyday.

He'd meant what he'd said at the Command Center, about being the only one who knew how to do anything. At least, that's what it felt like a lot of the time. Even Zordon and Alpha looked to him for solutions; _run a test or a scan, build a device to counteract this or to enable that. _Whenever the magic of a situation proved unsolvable, they always went to him to fix it with science. The pressure he felt was insurmountable.

He supposed he wouldn't really want it any other way. He liked being able to solve problems. He'd become a better fighter in his three years as a Ranger, but finding a technical solution was really where he got to play the hero.

But no amount of science could explain the anger he'd unleashed a month ago. Not even magic could be fully accountable for what he had been feeling. He had no idea he was that resentful, no idea how much he'd felt alone amidst the Rangers. _And Kimberly!_ Oh boy.

He'd taken most of his frustration out on her because…well…she was the easiest target. Kimberly was a bright girl, a reasonable student, inexplicably socially savvy. But a rocket scientist she was not. And Billy was as close to the real definition of that title as a seventeen year old could be. And Kimberly was his oldest friend, not only on the team, but also in life. The others saw his crazy inventions and superior intellect as an asset. But Kim was there before they were Rangers, when his brains and resourcefulness only led to ridicule by their peers.

Their friendship was still on the mend, though it had been a month since the incident. Unlike Rocky and Adam, Billy and Kimberly weren't as quick to forgive one another despite having been friends just as long at the two boys had. Maybe it was because Rocky and Adam were both guys, or maybe it was because of the type of people they were independently.

Maybe it was because of what they had specifically said to one another. He and Kim had really gone for the jugular. Unpacking his old skeletons about being just a nerd with only his gadgets for company and her new worries about having let too many other things distract her from the team.

Or maybe it was because Billy hadn't been the only one to mention her ever-increasing separation from the Rangers.

To say Tommy and Kim had hurt the worst was just not true. For each malicious word was engineered specifically for its victim, and everybody had their own demons to slay.

Billy's hate had manifested because he worried about the team's integrity and Kimberly's wellbeing _as a friend_.

But Tommy and Kim's relationship was something unique in the group. No other Ranger was dating a teammate, or had ever dated another teammate. Maintaining a healthy romantic relationship was difficult under normal circumstances.

No one would ever doubt Tommy's commitment to the Rangers. He loved being the White Ranger. He loved being the leader too, despite the tough decisions he had to make sometimes. Part of him loved it, because as the White Ranger, he could atone for his time as the bad guy. Another part of him loved it because as the leader, he would always be needed. A far cry from the formerly evil, second string Green Ranger he used to be.

But if there was one thing that Tommy possibly loved more than being a Ranger, it was Kimberly.

And love has a way of complicating everything.

_**One Month Ago**_

Tommy sat alone in his Jeep, waiting for Kimberly to emerge from her house. He'd offered to pick her up for school that morning. Maybe get some breakfast and talk on the way.

They'd been doing that a lot lately, _talking_.

It seemed absurd, the realization that they'd actually been talking, seeing as most people did it everyday. Most couples too, if they were lucky.

And they were lucky. They couldn't forget that. Which is probably why they had been talking so much lately. They needed each other to know how much the other meant to them.

They were also really ashamed at the things they'd said a month ago. Though when they looked back on it, which they did more than they liked to admit, they'd had the fewest interactions out of anybody, convincing them that their love had saved them from doing too much damage.

If they were honest, it was precisely their love for each other that had compelled them to say what they had said. The spell had occurred at a strenuous time for their relationship, and they were both pretty sensitive.

"Hey handsome," Kim chirped as she approached the car, "Sorry to keep you waiting."

Tommy smiled as he watched her climb into the passenger seat, "S'okay," he told her, "I don't mind."

Kim giggled and leaned over to place a quick kiss on his cheek before settling back into her chair and fastening her seatbelt.

They picked up some coffee and a few breakfast sandwiches, eating in silence as they drove to school.

Tommy crinkled the wrapper in his right hand, signaling his completion of the sandwich. Without saying a word, Kim grabbed the wrapper and disposed the trash into the larger bag by her feet.

Carefully grabbing his coffee from the center console, Tommy licked his lips and slowly took a sip of the hot liquid. He cleared his throat and nestled the cup back into place.

Tommy finally spoke up, "I'm sorry this wasn't a real date," he sighed, sparing his girlfriend a quick glance.

Kim looked over and swallowed the last bite of her own sandwich and threw away the trash as she said, "Me too."

At Tommy's frown she quickly amended, "It's okay though. We've both been really busy lately."

He didn't think that excuse was as reasonable anymore, but he nodded anyway, "I just wanna take you someplace nice," he explained, "Like I used too."

Kimberly bit her lip and reached her left arm out to tenderly stroke his ponytail.

He pulled into a parking spot and shut off the car.

"Summer's almost here," she reminded him, reluctantly relinquishing his hair from her grasp, "My training schedule will change and we won't have class."

Unbuckling his seatbelt, he turned to face her, "Yeah, but what about the Rangers? Ever since Zedd and Rita teamed up, things have just gotten crazier."

She nodded, unbuckling her restraint as well, "Don't worry, I'll have more time for the team too."

Tommy sighed as they got out of the car, "I didn't mean that, Kim," he clarified, "I meant that even without class and less training, Ranger duties are still gonna keep us from spending time alone."

"We're alone now," she offered coyly, linking their hands as they started for the building.

He pulled her closer, wrapping his arm around her waist, "Twenty minutes in the school parking lot is not exactly what I had in mind," he told her playfully as they headed inside.

Kim smiled at the insinuation as they filtered through the throng of students in the main hall, making their way down the steps to the first floor. Bulk and Skull stood at the foot of the stairs, clad in their Junior Police Officer uniforms, each holding a giant ream of tickets.

Bulk turned to face them, greeting them with a loud and effusive, "Tommy! Kimberly!"

"Hi," Tommy said curtly, as Bulk blocked his path.

Kimberly snickered as Tommy attempted to sidestep the larger boy, the couple still attached by the hand.

Bulk grabbed Tommy by his free hand and spun the couple around. Stalling Tommy from escaping, Bulk tugged on Tommy's shoulder, halting the taller man. The sudden action sent Kim flying forward. Tommy tightened his grip on Kim's hand and she snapped back to stand abruptly next to him, both looking at Bulk with annoyance.

"Hey, you know," Bulk said sheepishly, "You two look really good together. Isn't that right Skull? Haven't I always said that they make a lovely couple?"

Bulk gave the pair an eager smile before leaning over to his companion to corroborate. Skull scoffed, "Yes, you're right," he said through gritted teeth, "Lovely."

Kim bowed her head and muttered a humble, "Thanks," as Tommy gave the two boys a bewildered look, nodding his own, "Yeah, thanks."

Tommy released his hand from Kim's to settle it on her lower back and lead them away just as Bulk stopped them again.

"By the way, Tommy, when's the last time you took this lovely lady out for…" he pitched, as Skull began singing in Italian, "An enchanted romantic evening?"

Kimberly's face turned to delight as Tommy balked in confusion. His girlfriend nudged him with her hip, eyeing him with a flirty but challenging look. He turned back to the guys and asked, "What?"

"We gotta sell all these tickets to the Junior Police Ball or Lieutenant Stone's gonna throw us in the brig," Skull explained.

Tommy suddenly felt very shy as he looked questioningly back at Kim, "Well, what do you think?"

"I'd love to," she giggled.

Tommy sighed and cleared his throat, turning back to Bulk as he reached for his wallet.

"Alright!" Bulk said triumphantly, handing the young man his tickets in exchange for the cash, "Enjoy your romantic evening!"

Tommy turned back to Kim and flashed her the proof of purchase. She laughed and linked her arm with his as they made their way to their lockers.

No one knew how much information Lord Zedd and Rita actually had about the Rangers. Could they sense their fears and anxieties as sometimes Zordon could? Could they, God forbid, read their minds?

Because that was the only reasonable explanation, Tommy convinced himself.

How else would Zedd and Rita know just what to do to completely mess with Tommy unless they _could _read his mind? _Sense his fears_?

Okay to be fair, one needn't be an intergalactic wizard or an Evil Space Emperor to know that Tommy was always anxious about Kimberly. Even when their relationship _wasn't_ tenuous, Tommy was anxious.

He didn't really like that many people. Oh, he'd save their lives, sure. But that didn't mean he had to be friends with them. Or date them. But Kimberly liked people and they liked her, he being one of them.

He'd always worried he liked her more than she liked him, always afraid she'd wake up and realize she didn't need or want him.

And maybe that's what he was really afraid of. Not being needed, not wanted. The reminder of Kimberly's mocking words a month ago echoed in his head.

_But seriously, sending down a monster and making Kimberly fall in love with another guy?_

Again, to be fair, he'd initially had no idea it could possibly be another evil plot of Zedd and Rita's. Loath as he was to admit it, his insecurity was just great enough that all he could believe at first was that one of his greatest fears had come true.

He was standing by his locker, students and teachers passing them as she chattered excitedly about the Junior Police Ball from across the hallway.

"Oh, Tommy! We're going to have so much fun!"

He laughed happily at her enthusiasm, glad that he'd been able to make good on his earlier concern. Of course, he'd been hoping for a more…_intimate_ setting, but who's to say that couldn't happen after the Ball?

Kimberly shut her locker and rushed over to his side, excusing herself as she pushed passed people, Bulk and Skull still trying to hoc tickets in the background.

She jumped into his arms and gave him a soft kiss on the lips, letting her body slowly slide down his taller one. Her feet landed with a small thud as she clutched her notebook with a sigh. "I know exactly what dress I'm going to wear," she buzzed.

Tommy just chuckled as she turned her back to him, "and I'll put my hair up like this, and I…." she explained showing him the pile of brown locks.

"And I…" she began again as Tommy rested his hands on her shoulders, ready to kiss the back of her neck.

A sudden visitation came upon her: her breath hitched, her throat went dry, her pulse quickened.

"Ay-yi-yi," she whispered huskily, letting her hair drop back onto her shoulders as she stepped away from Tommy and floated across the hall.

Tommy heard her throaty moan, stumbling a bit as she pulled away.

"What is it?" he asked excitedly, following right behind her. Anything that got Kim's sexy whisper was worth seeing.

_Or so he thought._

"You are just about the cutest thing I've ever seen," she sighed.

It took about two seconds for Tommy to realize she was talking to Skull.

Skull seemed to take a few seconds to realize it as well.

"Huh?" The boys said in unison. Bulk furrowed his brow in confusion as Kimberly took another step toward Skull.

"Have you always been this cute?" She asked, lost in wonder. Tommy just stared at her hopelessly from behind Skull's shoulder.

Skull laughed nervously, still not completely trusting what was happening,

"Well, I've been told I have a certain roguish quality…"

Kimberly bit her lip, "Has anyone ever told you that you have the most beautiful eyes?" she said wistfully, reaching a hand up to caress his cheek.

Convinced that Kimberly was in fact meaning all of this for him, Skull smiled wickedly and said, "Uh…no, not recently."

Tommy shot the boy an angry glare, disbelieving his audacity.

Kimberly swayed shyly, playing with a lock of her hair, "Umm, listen Handsome," she cooed dreamily, "You got a date for the ball?"

Skull was agog, but happily he realized the implication of his answer, "No, now that you mention it…no."

Kimberly giggled joyfully. Tommy grimaced. Even Bulk had to roll his eyes.

Tommy tried wedging himself in front of Skull to reach Kim. The skinny man smacked a halting hand to Tommy's chest, impeding him from getting in between him and Kimberly.

Tommy looked at the offensive hand on his chest for a moment before looking back at Skull threateningly.

Tommy couldn't take this anymore, "Kimberly, what's going on?" he pleaded, "I thought _we_ were gonna go to the ball."

"No way," she replied drunkenly, as she and Skull stared longingly at each other. "If you've got the best why settle for the rest?"

She slinked an arm up his chest and fisted the front of his shirt, pulling him down toward her. Skull growled playfully in her ear as he grabbed her by the waist and dipped her back, the glorious sounds of her laughter ringing in his ears.

Tommy shook his head. _This wasn't happening_.

The bell rang to signal students into class. Annoyed, Tommy gently pried Kimberly away from Skull.

"Come on Kim, gotta get to class now," he tried to say patiently as he clutched her arm.

Bulk held Skull's arms down as Kim was taken away, "Uh…sorry about this Tommy," Bulk said sheepishly.

Kim wriggled her arm free from Tommy's hand and ran back to Skull. She jumped into his arms unexpectedly, and Skull yanked Bulk off of him in order to catch the tiny brunette. They giggled as she wrapped her legs around him and planted a wet kiss on his lips.

Bulk sidled up behind the kissing couple before looking back at Tommy, "You're not gonna want a refund are you?"

Tommy growled low and reached Kim in two long strides. He peeled her off of Skull by the waist and dragged her away, not bothering to look back.

Kim pouted but allowed Tommy to pull her along, calling back to Skull, "I wuv you my wittle Skullsy poo!"

"I wuv you my Kimmy wimmy gumdrop!" Skull cried in response, waving until she and Tommy were out of sight.

Aisha hated Tuesdays, for no other reason than she had no classes with Kim or Tommy. Oh well, at least she had third period English with the others.

As Ms. Applebee's class let out, the gang was still talking about what they'd witnessed.

"Well, that was definitely the weirdest English class I've ever been privy to," Billy sighed as they walked down the hall.

"I'll say," Rocky shuddered, "I almost tossed my cookies when Lieutenant Stone kissed her."

Aisha playfully smacked him on the chest. "Rocky, be nice," the girl in yellow scolded.

"Yeah," Adam added as they turned the corner for the stairwell, "Poor Ms. Applebee looked like she wanted to cry."

"I can't wait to tell Kimberly," Aisha admitted as they headed down the steps.

Bulk and Skull had resumed their ticket selling duties for the lunch period. Skull was still on Cloud Nine from this morning and Bulk hadn't missed one opportunity to make fun of his friend.

"Kimmy wimmy gumdrop?" Bulk recalled with disdain as he indicated the tickets he was offering to the passing student body.

"I was improvising!" Skull defended, "Kimberly likes it when I'm spontaneous."

Bulk scoffed at the very notion of Skull doing _anything_ Kimberly liked. But after this morning, what did he know?

The bigger man turned to solicit a group of students coming down the stairs.

"Did anyone ever tell you," Bulk began mocking Kim's earlier comment as Skull just laughed, "that you have the most beautiful eye—"

Bulk's voice hitched, his heart racing as he locked eyes with Aisha Campbell.

"Eyes, Ay, ay, Aisha!" He sputtered, grabbing the girl's hand and clumsily trying to kiss it.

Aisha immediately recoiled at Bulk's groping and shot him a sick look, "What?" she demanded.

Her eyes bulged in shock as Bulk wrapped his meaty arm around her waist and pulled her soundly into his side.

"Come with me to the Kasbah," he purred, "I don't where it is but…we'll find it."

Adam and Rocky shared an amused grin while Billy looked disturbed. Aisha tried in vain to extricate herself from Bulk as she looked over her shoulder to her friends.

"Okay, guys," she muttered, "There's definitely something going on."

"I think we better go," Adam instructed, helping Aisha out of Bulk's embrace.

"Let's find Tommy and Kim," Billy suggested.

"Yeah," Rocky said, eyeing Bulk suspiciously as the group started to leave.

Tommy had given up trying to hold onto Kimberly's hand once they'd reached the park. She was acting like a small child…or a puppy; squirming around, walking aimlessly and constant humming. He'd only managed to get her to come quietly by baiting her with the promise of delivering her to her _"Skullsy poo"._

"That was too strange," Aisha recalled as they approached the park.

"There's Tommy and Kim," Rocky motioned.

"Hey," Adam greeted the couple, "You guys notice anything weird going on around school today?"

Tommy snickered, "Definitely," he muttered, thumbing dejectedly to Kim.

Kimberly stumbled toward them, twirling her hair around her fingers, "Well, if you call falling in love weird, "she giggled conspiratorially, "Color me guilty!"

Tommy rested his hands on his hips tiredly, shaking his head in disgust.

Adam and Aisha puzzled as they looked from Tommy to Kimberly as they assessed rather quickly that she apparently hadn't meant her comment to be about Tommy.

"Uh, guys," Billy insinuated, sharing a knowing look with Rocky, "Maybe we should _talk to Zordon_?"

The five unaffected Rangers shared a bitter laugh of agreement before preparing to teleport.

Their mission was cut short however as Goldar and the Tengas suddenly appeared before them.

"Nice to see you again Rangers!" Goldar growled as the teens immediately dropped into a defensive stance.

"Oh," Kimberly gasped, "I have to protect Skull!" she said anxiously.

Tommy shot Kim an annoyed eye roll, failing to school his jealously and annoyance. Dropping his defensive stance, he aggressively shouted, "Ninja Ranger Power, Now!"

It was a small consolation to see that Kim was fighting okay. Tommy kept one eye on her the whole time during the short skirmish. He was grateful that her sudden but relentless preoccupation with Skull hadn't diminish her focus in battle, but that relief turned to anger when he realized that Skull might actually have been the reason for her proficiency.

Goldar inexplicably made a hasty retreat with the Tengas, though no one thought too long about it as they powered down and finally teleported to the Command Center.

They'd barely rematerialized out of their columns of light before Tommy was dragging Kimberly in front of the wizard.

"Zordon, something's wrong with Kim," he whined, "she's uh…"

How did he explain this exactly?

"She's not herself," he settled on.

The White Ranger knew he had no business being this pushy with Zordon after what he'd done last month. But the ancient sage seemed to hold no grudges, nor bare any ill will toward any of his disciples. Though he was now acutely sensitive to all of their tensions and frustrations.

Which is perhaps why when he suggested running a scan on Kimberly for abnormal bio-waves, he'd directed Alpha to do it, not Billy.

"Hold still, Kimberly," Alpha instructed, approaching the antsy girl with the energy wand. Kimberly giggled as the robot swiped the laser over her.

Adam watched carefully, while Billy seemed anxious just standing there. Old habits died hard, he supposed.

"Kimberly Ann Skullovitch," the girl in pink mused, teasing out the sound of her name with her beloved's, "Kimberly _Hart_ Skullovitch."

Aisha stared at Kim skeptically as Tommy shook his head and looked up at Zordon as if to say, _I told you so._

"Ay-yi-yi!" Alpha shrieked, "Kimberly seems to be under the spell of a love potion."

Aisha exhaled and laughed, "Thank goodness."

The sudden thrum of the alarm caught the Ranger's attention as they all instinctively turned to face the viewing Globe.

Well, not all of them. Kim pecked her head around, too enamored to know what the sirens were for. Tommy sighed as he realized Kim didn't know any better at the moment, and steered her around to face the globe too.

As Zordon explained that a monster called Miss Chief had been creating havoc by haphazardly spraying her love potion all over town, Kimberly snuck under Tommy's arm and draped herself onto Aisha.

Kim giggled obnoxiously, "Guess what?" she whispered sloppily into the other girl's ear, "I love Skull!"

Aisha's eyes went wide as she calmly but forcefully pulled Kim off of her and held the girl's hands still.

"I'm all for love," Aisha cringed, "but this is getting out of hand."

"Do not underestimate Miss Chief's power," Zordon continued, "Her love potion undermines common sense, leaving the individual vulnerable to danger."

"I'll say," Rocky snickered as Kim bumped into him carelessly, swaying dreamily around the room.

"Can you help her?" Tommy pleaded, leading Kim by the hand to face Zordon once more.

"I am hesitant to tamper with the delicate balance of human emotions," Zordon said diplomatically.

Tommy's brow rose in indignation at his mentor's answer.

He was starting to forget why he'd ever felt bad about the things he'd said to Zordon a month ago.

It was precisely answers like that that got his blood boiling. Scripted, clinical, implicitly final judgments that provided no solution whatsoever save for an occasionally cryptic reminder to '_look within yourself.'_

"_As if Kimberly's current state is in any way authentic,"_ he thought to himself as he looked down at the girl beside him. She was quietly chanting Skull's name over and over.

His anger then turned to sadness, his voice just a shade too petulant for his liking, "What are we gonna do?" He sighed, "We need Kimberly back like she was."

Zordon would not be the entity he was if he allowed his personal affinity for these teens to influence his decisions too greatly.

What the wizard could not say was, "I am fully aware of Kimberly's true affections and therefore see no reason not to return her to normal."

But he sensed the White Ranger's suffering and knew the boy needed _some _reassurance.

"Perhaps Miss Chief's love potion will gradually wear off Kimberly and the others," Zordon offered, "Until then, keep her under close watch."

Tommy nodded, "We will Zordon."

He resignedly grabbed Kim's hand as they all teleported back to school.

Once landed and back inside the halls, Kimberly took off at a run to find Skull.

"Oh, I've missed him so much," she pouted, "I hope he hasn't forgotten about me."

"No chance of that happening," Rocky snorted before getting sacked in the stomach by Adam.

Tommy just shook his head as Billy's eyes went wide at the approaching figure of Bulk.

"Umm, Aisha," Billy warned the girl, "You may perhaps want to make yourself scarce."

Aisha turned to see the reason for Billy's warning as Bulk caught sight of her, calling out her name in anguish.

Aisha gulped, "Gotta go guys," she told them quickly as she took off, Bulk right on her heels.

"Man," Adam said, "I sure hope Zordon's right."

Aisha had managed to avoid Bulk during fifth period, but her luck ran out as she exited her last class of the day. One foot in the hallway and Bulk pounced, backing her up into the door.

"I will get you anything, Aisha," Bulk promised in hushed tones, "I'll bring you the moon, the stars, the—"

He stopped kissing her arm, rearing his head back as if he was about to burp. Aisha grimaced, not understanding what was happening.

Suddenly, the moment was gone. Bulk rattled his head, as if dislodging water from his ear. He looked down to see Aisha's hand still held in his own.

"Uh, what was I saying?" He asked.

Aisha went bug eyed, dropping her hand from his in silent relief. Bulk's trance seemed to have worn off, just as Zordon had said it would, with Bulk seemingly none the wiser. She didn't care how it worked, just that it had. She needed to find the others.

"Uh…nothing," she lied quickly, "It was nice talking to you. Bye." She spun on her heels and booked it.

Tommy was grateful he had so many classes with Kim today. It made it easier to keep an eye on her in case any changes occurred. As it was, nothing seemed to be happening. Well, nothing for the _better _anyway.

Tommy got pulled into a discussion with a classmate about the reading assignment for next week. He was barely listening, too acutely aware of the sickening display that had been going on in front of Kim's locker for the past fifteen minutes.

Skull was leaning up against the metal surface, his legs slightly bent to allow him to straddle a standing Kimberly who was nestled in between them.

Kim leaned closer to Skull's face as they shared a tender Eskimo kiss, "Oh, Skull," she sighed, "How could I have ever gone out with that loser Tommy?"

Skull genuinely laughed and shook his head, "I don't know."

She raised two fingers to his face and playfully tweaked his nose as she stared numbly. Skull just smiled as her breathing became shorter.

She continued mumbling, "Tom—Tom—Tommy?"

Kimberly's eyes went wide as she withdrew her hand from the boy's face.

"Skull?" she shrieked.

The boy was oblivious to her sudden change, "Yes lamb chop?" he mused, echoing her nose tweak with one of his own.

Kimberly looked down and saw their intimate positioning before taking a horrified step back.

"Um, I think I have to…" she muttered frantically, "go…over...there."

Skull's blissful reverie was abruptly cut short as he realized that Kim's disgusted reaction was toward him.

She looked anywhere but at the boy against the locker, desperately trying to find a friendly face when she spotted Tommy down the hall.

"_Oh thank you God!_" She thought to herself.

Skull's lips quivered as he nearly started crying. Calling out to her retreating figure "I'll miss you!"

Kim grimaced and pushed her way through the crowd of bodies.

She carelessly knocked the guy who was talking to Tommy out of the way.

"Excuse me, sorry," she offered flippantly as she grabbed her boyfriend's hands and spun him around to face her.

"Tommy, what was I doing with skull?" She demanded.

Tommy couldn't help but smile, "Kim, you're okay!"

Kimberly chanced a fearful look over her shoulder. "Not until I know what's going on."

She had no recollection of what had transpired that day, but her imagination could hazard a guess, and it made her a wee bit nauseous.

She looked back to Tommy who gave her a loaded sigh, "It's a long story. Lets get the others."

Taking down Miss Chief once the potion had worn off was easy. They battled monsters great and small every day. Explaining to Kimberly what had happened while she was under the potion's spell however, not as simple.

Kim had taken the news more profoundly, as she'd felt used not remembering what she'd done. The Rangers assured her that nothing irrevocable had occurred, at least to their knowledge. Kim was especially embarrassed that Tommy had been privy to most of the details.

The teens attended the Junior Police Ball in spite of what had taken place, agreeing that their absence would have felt like a defeat somehow. Tommy offered to pick up Kim at her place, but Aisha concluded it was better to let them meet there instead.

They danced in time to the ballad, close but just far apart that they could admire one another as the moved in slow circles.

"You really do look beautiful tonight, Kim," Tommy said softly.

Kim's nose scrunched at the compliment, "You already said that," she told him shyly.

Tommy shrugged as he led them around a wide and slow spin, each smiling at the other in nervous silence. Kim bit her lip anxiously, needing to break the quiet of the moment.

"You look really handsome," she offered lamely, "I really love it when you wear your hair down."

Tommy chuckled, pulling her closer, "That's why I did it."

Kim clutched him tighter, hugging him while they swayed, "Tommy, I'm really sorry about the way I treated you," she mumbled.

"It's okay," he told her, rubbing her back.

Kim looked up at him with tears in her eyes, "After all we've been through recently," she began, "God, the way you must have felt!" she bowed her head sadly.

He tilted her chin up to look at him again, "Hey," he assured her, "I know you didn't mean it."

She smiled, but it didn't reach her eyes. She still felt incredibly guilty. She gently pulled her face away and saw Skull sitting alone at a table near the corner. In that moment, Kim remembered the look on Skull's face when the spell had worn off.

"Speaking of," she motioned with her head, "I wasn't very nice to Skull, was I?'

Tommy glanced over at the young man, sitting utterly bereft in the corner.

There was a part of him that didn't care how Skull felt. Served him right for carrying on the way he did. But Tommy knew how easily that could have been him sitting there, heart broken and bitter, had the spell not worn off. Or, God forbid, if it hadn't been a spell at all…

He looked back at Kimberly, still eyeing Skull sadly, and shook his head to confirm her question.

"Would you mind if I…" she asked sheepishly, letting her request to dance with Skull dangle there between them.

Tommy stamped out the tiny flicker of jealously that arose from Kim's question. Instead, offering her a small smile and a nod, "Sure," he told her, "Go ahead."

She graced him with such a brilliant smile it was hard to pout for long. She cupped the side of his face and stretched to kiss his cheek before whispering in his ear, "Later?" she offered.

He nodded a bit stiffly, seeing as he wished she'd whispered "Now", but he gave her one last smile as she squeezed his hand knowingly and went off to find Skull.

He watched her go for a moment before Adam came up beside him, sticking a green stalk in his face, "Celery?" the Asian boy offered sympathetically.

"Thanks," Tommy sighed, taking the veggie and munching down.

"Boo!" Kim chirped in Skull's ear as she slinked around the table. He rolled his eyes as she collapsed into the empty chair next to him.

"Wanna dance?" she asked.

"Why?" he spared her a sneer, "So you can step on my feet as well as my heart?"

"Skull," she sighed, unable to offer him any other explanation, "I'm really sorry about that."

Skull scoffed, crossing his arms petulantly.

"But don't you think it's better that we're friends?" she amended quickly.

The boy shot her a suspicious look, "Friends?" he repeated.

"Yeah!" Kimberly assured him. She had known him since they were in grade school after all. And though as they got older his obvious affection for her was a nuisance, she knew Skull was ultimately harmless. But it dawned on her that what had happened today might not have been so harmless to him. So she threw him a bone, a peace offering.

Skull studied Kimberly's expression carefully. He might be a slightly obnoxious punk, he even knew he could be, but he still had feelings. He'd adored Kimberly since they were little, and he'd always dreamed of her looking at him the way she had today. But as he watched her nervously anticipating his answer, he realized he'd never considered that they could exist as anything but object of affection and lovesick schoolboy. "Friends" was not what he hoped for, but it wasn't out of the question.

"Yeah," he finally told her, crowing that high-pitched rattling laugh, "Friends!"

Kim flashed him a grateful smile and offered her hand as she stood. He smiled back and took the proffered limb, standing to escort them onto the dance floor.


End file.
